


Thy Strong And Bidding Task

by Tyranno



Category: Merlin (TV), Trollhunters (Cartoon)
Genre: Advice time, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-22
Updated: 2017-01-22
Packaged: 2018-09-19 06:21:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,466
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9422312
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tyranno/pseuds/Tyranno
Summary: The amulet breaks, and they only have one option: to find it's maker.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Title from an unrelated Shakespeare line from 'Tempest': "To thy strong and bidding task, Ariel and all his quality"

Blinky flicked the amulet’s serrated clock hand. It swung a little and still, hanging pathetically from the blue stone’s core. The metal was twisted around three toothmarks, and the inscription was interrupted by broken metal. It still glowed, but only dimly, pulsing like a heartbeat.

“So?” Jim asked, fidgeting with one of Blinky’s books. “Can you fix it?”

Blinky sighed and lowered the amulet. “No.”

“What do you mean?” Jim yelped, straightening.

“I might be able to weld the damage back into place, but the amulet is more than a sum of its parts. The fact that Angor Rot’s bite was enough to break it is truly flummoxing,” Blinky handed the broken charm back to Jim, “The incantation has been broken, and I am no magician.”

Jim stared down at the amulet, resting in the palm of his hand. He touched the sharp torn edges gently, pressing the thin metal back together. It pinged back as soon as he moved his hand.

“That can’t just be it!” Toby said, standing. “We can’t just give up!”

Claire scowled, “All these books, surely there’s a way to fix it? This can’t be the first time the amulet’s been damaged!”

Blinky opened his mouth to say something, but after a moment of silence he closed it again.

She stared, a small frowning forming. “There _is_ a way?”

Aaarrrgghh lifted his head, bright eyes lowering. “Merlin.” He said, simply.

Jim glanced up, eyes wide. “Merlin? Like, the actual Merlin?”

“He’s got to be around a century old now,” Claire frowned, “There’s no way he’s still alive.”

Blinky sighed, moving a large pile of books from an old armchair and sat down heavily. “Merlin...” He started, “Merlin is immortal. He was alive long before Trolls ever emerged from the underground. When we did come into contact with people, he was always a friend to us, making sure both humans and trolls didn’t come to harm. He created the Trollhunter’s amulet for us to protect ourselves. He created dozens of heartstones and designed the passages through which we could escape humans, should they chase us.”

“I’m sensing a ‘but’ here,” Toby said.

Blinky sighed, closing his eyes. “When the war broke out, both sides looked to Merlin to support them. Historically, he had dealt with all magical races even-handedly, and whichever side could claim his allegiance would win the war near instantly.”

“So…?” Claire prompted. “Who did he side with? It wasn’t the gumm-gumms, was it?”

“He didn’t,” Aaarrrgghh rumbled. He lowered his head, “He didn’t side.”

Blinky opened his eyes, but looked into the middle distance, “At the war council he refused to side with us, so, in a fit of rage, the leader of the trolls banished him from the underground. Moments after Merlin had left, the leader was usurped and messengers chased after Merlin to apologise, but he had already gone.” Blinky steepled his fingers, “It was, perhaps, one of the biggest blunders the Troll government has ever made. Throughout the war, our side constantly feared that Merlin would join the Gumm-gumm’s ranks. But it seems he simply disappeared.”

“And no one’s seen him since?” Claire asked. “Surely the Trolls over the world will have spotted him? It’s been centuries.”

“I think there’s not a Troll among us that doesn’t want to seek him out, to apologise and invite him back underground,” Blinky sighed, “But Merlin is a magician, the greatest one that ever lived, and Trolls cannot venture into daylight. There have been rumours… but no sightings.”

“What’s the point then?” Jim asked, quietly. He turned the amulet over and shook one of the thinner clock hands out, holding up the broken piece to the light. “The amulet’s still broken, and if we can’t find Merlin then what’s the point of talking about it?”

“There is one way to find him,” Blinky said, slowly.

“What is it?” Jim asked, looking up.

Blinky looked at him, and glanced away. He sighed deeply.

“Camelot,” Aaarrrgghh filled in.

“Of course!” Claire burst out.

Toby looked from Aaarrrgghh to Claire, frowning. “What’s Camelot?”

“Camelot is where Merlin’s from originally,” Claire said, “It’s where the round table was. He was the magician who helped King Arthur.”

“Every few years he returns to the castle that used to be Arthur’s,” Blinky continued. “He mourns what he lost.”

Jim looked at the amulet, glowing rhythmically to what he realised was his own pulse. “And he’ll be there now?” He asked, softly.

“He doesn’t have to be,” Blinky said, “He’s a very powerful magician. He can likely sense when anyone enters his home lands.”

“And you think he’ll help me?” Jim stood up, gripping the broken amulet tightly.

“I’m afraid, Master Jim, he’s the only hope you have,” Blinky stood too, straightening his shoulders. “We can’t use the tunnels, but Miss Nuñez should be able to teleport you there.”

“Alright,” Claire tightened her grasp on the staff and it extended. She gripped Jim’s elbow, lightly tugging him to his feet.

“One last thing,” Blinky said, “To increase his chances, the Trollhunter must see Merlin alone.”

Jim sent Blinky an odd look. “He’s not dangerous is he?”

“Well...” Blinky said, frowning, “He wasn’t dangerous, according to legend. But it has been thousands of years. Who can say how he is now?”

Jim frowned.

Claire rested a hand on Jim’s shoulder. “Don’t worry,” She said, beckoning Toby closer, “We won’t be far away. If anything happens, just shout and we’ll come running. It’ll be fine.”

Jim nodded, and straightened up. He gripped the broken amulet tightly, the metal digging into the meat of his palm.

“Wait!” Blinky said, “If you do see Merlin, could you tell him… tell him that he can come back?”

He fixed his gaze on Blinky’s worried features, and offered him a brave smile. “I will,” Jim said.

The swirling blackness engulfed them like a whirlwind.

 

*

 

They stepped into the North of England, were the land rose into domed green-grey hills around them, mossy and dense with long yellowing grass. Mist thickened the air. A huge, broad lake stretched just steps ahead, the surface ruffling in the breeze, distorting their reflections.

Jim stared down into the dark water. Something small and bright littered the lake’s bottom, like silver coins. The air tasted fresh and cold, and seemed to clean out his lungs with every breath.

“There’s no one here,” Toby said, very quietly, as if he was afraid to break the heavy silence.

Jim glanced around the landscape. The mist turned the hills to pale shadows. Across the lake, barely visible, there was the huge shape of something tall and imposing.

“Look!” Claire said, pointing further across the water.

It took a moment for them to see what she was gesturing to. A boat was floating slowly towards them, propelled by nothing, until it bumped gently against the lake’s shore. It was old and simple, thin like a canoe, a rough oar tied to its side. It was big enough for only one person.

“This is it,” Jim said, stepping inside the boat. It bobbed uneasily, but took his weight. He sat, staring back at his friends.

“Good luck,” Claire offered, looking decidedly braver than he felt. Toby offered him a little wave. He smiled back at them, but couldn’t keep the worry from his features.

The boat began to draw back into the fog, moving gently through the water. His friends paled to ghosts, and were swallowed by the wall of white. The lake pushed him, shaking him slightly. He was nearly level with the dark water’s surface.

It seemed to take an age. He travelled through pure white. The huge shape behind him seemed to get darker, but only incrementally. After a dozen minutes he could make out rough bricks, the broken corner of a ruined wall. It emerged from the fog shade by shade, until it was a castle, or what was left of one.

And then he noticed the man standing by the castle’s gaping entrance.

He looked shockingly… normal. He was lean and tall, like a gangly teenager, dressed in a simple jacket and jeans. The red bandanna was the only colour he wore. As Jim drew closer, he could see the man’s face. It was all angles, sharp cheekbones and a sharp jaw, but his bright blue eyes were kind and betrayed his age.

The boat bumped against the land, and Jim stood up, trying to quiet the nerves in his chest. “Hello,” He said, and to his relief, his voice sounded normal.

“Hello,” The man said, “I’m Merlin.”

“Jim,” Jim said, stepping off the boat cautiously and onto dry land. “I broke the Trollhunter’s amulet. I need you to fix it.”

Merlin held out his hand, and Jim placed the amulet in his palm. Merlin studied it closely. With a sigh, he went into the castle’s ruins, and after a moment of indecision, Jim followed him.

Merlin sat on a large hunk of stone, staring down at the charm. “You know, your health is the only reason this amulet’s still salvageable.”

“What?” Jim said, startled.

“You and the amulet are connected,” Merlin gripped the amulet tight, blue sparks escaping the gaps in his fingers. “As long as it’s in good condition, it will heal some of your wounds. In the same way, if it gets damaged but you’re still well, it can be saved.” He opened his hand and stared at it, frowning. “Although I’m in half a mind to destroy the thing if it’s going to choose humans over Trolls.”

Jim frowned. “What’s wrong with it choosing humans?”

Merlin shot him a flat look, “That’s not the question you want to ask. You know the answer to that one. Ask me the one you want me to answer.”

Jim glanced at the amulet and back at Merlin. He swallowed. “Why didn’t you choose sides? In the Troll’s war?”

Merlin looked at him. Jim stood his ground, saying nothing. The tides lapped softly against the earth, eating it away piece by piece. Cold seeped through Jim’s shoes.

“You know,” Merlin said, looking away, “It’s not hard to make these amulets, you know? Why don’t I make a few more, while I’m at it?”

Rocks whizzed past Jim’s ear and hit something invisible in front of Merlin’s outstretched hand and fell into a slow orbit around him. Merlin’s eyes blazed yellow like wolf’s. The fire in them seemed to burn into Jim’s soul.

Merlin paused. “Why don’t I make some for you? You’re having trouble with time-management, aren’t you?”

“You would?” Jim brightened. “That’d be—that’d be amazing!”

Merlin plucked a rock out of orbit, gripping it in a fist. Green sparked burst through his fingers, flame flaring in arches like he was holding a firework going off. A terrible crack broke the stillness of the water, sending echoes across the hills. It dimmed as quickly as it had started, and a smooth green gem laced with metal sat in his palm.

“This one will allow you to make clones and repeat days,” Merlin said, holding the green amulet between two fingers, “You can spend one day fighting Trolls and the other living your life.”

Jim stared at it, eyes wide, “Whoa, I—”

“But that’s not quite enough, is it?” Merlin snapped the green amulet clean in half, and the green faded back to grey stone. “You’ll age twice as fast and you’ll become completely detached from everyone you know. It’s not quite ideal.”

Jim watched the two halves of stone hit the sodden grass and Merlin plucked another rock from orbit. He pressed it between his palms, purple blooming brilliantly between his hands. He held it out to Jim.

“What about this one?” Merlin said, sulfur-yellow eyes watching him closely. “It’ll make any human alive forgive you, for anything. You wouldn’t have to worry about being late, or standing anyone up, or choosing Trollhunting over them.”

Jim stared at it. He couldn’t say anything, he could hardly breathe.

“You know, you’re right,” Merlin said, crushing the purple amulet and taking the last stone, “We’re still not addressing the root cause of the problem,” The last amulet shot black fire in laboured spurts, cracking sharply like gunshots.

Merlin stretched it out to him, nestled in the palm of his hand. It looked like black quartz, gleaming smoothly.

“This one will make every human forget about you,” Merlin said. “And then, finally, you can go Trollhunt to your heart’s content.”

Jim stared at it.

Grey birds broke through the fog and swooped over their heads, only to vanish back into the white. Water lapped against the island’s shore. Cold spread up Jim’s spine.

“Why… why are you offering me this?” Jim asked.

Merlin watched him. His irises dimmed from yellow to blue, and he lowered the black stone. His expression softened. “You’re a human,” He said, “And the amulet chose you because you’re pure of heart. But you need to remember that you’re not a Troll. Your human life takes as much precedent, if not more. You might have been chosen, but you don’t owe the Trolls anything.”

Jim eyed the dark stone, and looked back up to Merlin. “I don’t mind helping Trolls,” Jim said. “They’re my friends.”

Merlin nodded, a small smile ghosting his face. “I know,” he said. “But it’s worth keeping in mind.”

“And to answer your original question,” Merlin snapped the black amulet and tossed it out across the water. It skimmed the surface a few times before plunging into the freezing water. “Every ‘gift’ you receive separates you from… well, from everyone else. The more powerful you are, the less you can connect with people. It’s the flaws that make us human, after all.”

Jim glanced out across the lake.

Merlin picked up the Trollhunter amulet, and unreadable expression on his features. “Whoever I sided with would have won the war. I agonised over it for weeks. And then I was banished, and I realised,” Merlin looked up at Jim, “It wasn’t my fight.”

Jim stared back at him.

Merlin held out the amulet and Jim took it. It was completely whole and shone bright, like a star.

“The amulet chose a human for a reason,” Merlin said, “I don’t know what it is. But there’s something you need to do, and it’s something that only you can do.”

Jim paused. After a moment he nodded, and stepped into the boat. Waters sloshed at the sides, and he paused again. “Blinky—a Troll friend of mine—he said you could come back underground whenever you wanted.”

Merlin smiled.

“And thank you for the amulet,” Jim added, slipping the amulet into his pocket.

“You’re welcome,” Merlin shrugged, and disappeared into the ruins.

The boat shook slightly, and began to move slowly through the fog.


End file.
